The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-16
SPARKS OUT OF OFFICE.
HE RESIGNS TO SAVE THE PRESI-
DENT ASSMENT.

N1NNSS O~~J
He Will be Given Another Govern
ment Office ext of His Letter.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15.-After all the
wild talk of his friends Commission
er Sparks quietly resigned tots after
noon without waiting for formal demand
for his resignation. He took his letter of
resignation, which was milder and briefer
than any one had expected, to the President
himself In the course OF the conversation
he told the President that he resigned not
because he thought he was in the wrong,
but i'll order to relieve the
President of embarrassment. The Presi-
dent expressed his appreciation of this
course, without intimating that he consid-
cred Secretary Lamar in the wrong. The
President accepted the resignation at
once. Friends of Sparks say that he is
likely to be given another appointment.
They mention especially the Mexican mis-
sion. 1t is certain that he will not be ap-
pointed to any place where tact is required.
THE COMMISSIONERS LETTER.
Gen. Sparks letter to the President
says: ''The Honorable Secretary of the In
terror advises me by a letter, dated Nov. II,
in effect that he should on that date present
TO you the alternative of selecting new
Secretary of the Interior or new Commits
sioner of the General Land Office, in view
of which l have felt called upon to address
you this letter" The Commissioner then
reviews his disagreement with the Secre-
tary of the Interior upon the question OF
the adjustment of the Omaha railroad land
cases, and says that the decision of the
Secretary, which he regards as erroneous,
Twill, if adhered to- have the
effect to take from the people
many millions of acres of land
within the railroad indemnity limits, which
by your advice and with your approval, as
expressed in the Guilford Miller case, have
been proclaimed to the country as restored
to the public domain. The question of the
correctness of these decisions became, there
fore, a matter of momentous concern. If
they correctly declared the law, these lands
belong to the railroad company. If
they did not correctly declare the
law the lands belong to the people.
was profoundly convinced that in
making these decisions the secretary had
been committed to errors of law which if
brought fully to his personal attention
might be corrected. 1t is the practice of the
department to permit representatives of
railroad companies and other private in
terests to apply for reviews and reconsid-
erations of decisions when questions are de-
cided against such interests. 1t seems to me
that as an official of the gov
ernment having immediate guardianship
of public lands and immediate charge
of the issuance of patents under all grants
of land by Congress, | have at least an equal
right with the representatives of private
interests to ask the Secretary of the Interior
to re-examine d partmental decision, and
| believed it especially proper to express my
views to the Secretary in these cases, be-
cause had not, but would have done so in
the original instance, if had anticipated a
change of the ruling and decision upon the
point in question. Accordingly | waited upon
the Secretary and personally expressed to
him my desire to have a review of the decis-
ions in these cases. He suggested to me to let
the matter rest for the present, in which
suggestion I of course acquiesced. A for
NAL application for review, couched in most
respectful terms, was completed about Oct.
26, but was not put upon the official
records, and was not made public.
On Nov. 10 / received a note from
the Secretary desiring me to present
to him what I had to say upon this subject.
NV letter was accordingly signed and de-
livered to him on Nov. ii, with the neees-
sary change Of date and other corrections
that had been made. A copy Of this letter
is herewith inclosed for your inspection, and
for your Judgment, both upon the substance
of the matter and upon the official courtesy
of form and expression. 1t is
but just to say that the
published communication addressed to
me and laid before you, is no answer to my
letter applying for review. The issue
raised by me was strictly one of law. The
presentation of the issue was strictly in the
line of legal argument. in the letter ad-
dressed to me that issue is not met. The
effect has been to create the erroneous i'm
preston that the issue was one of authority
alone, and that ! had refused to execute the
Secretary's official orders This diver
sion of the issue from one of
legal construction to one of authority and in
subOrdination is a substitution of force for
argument, diversion of the public mind
from the merits of the case, and if not re-
sisted by me in this presentation to you
would be suppression by that power of
proper and considerate effort on my part
as Commissioner of the General Land Office
to secure in the public interest an impartial
hearing before the Secretary of the
Interior on purely legal ques-
tion affecting the administration Of
the office with which | am charged.
The office of Commissioner of the General
Land Office has been one of intense labor
imposing q constant sense of high response
bility Having sought it at your hands, |
have continued to hold it only out of a
sense of duty with view OF effectlng some
good TO the public. | have been subjected
to discouragement and to much calumny
ard abuse from those whose interests were
TO defeat the policies pursued. | have be-
lieved my line of action to be correct,
and thought / had reason for
the belief that met your
approval. If these decisions foreshadowed
a change in the official policy on this sub
ject, knowing well what this will mean i'll
practical application, | could not, of course,
with my sense Of duty, be an instrument to
effect the change. Having ever, as now,
regarded the commission hold from you as
subject to your recall, and desiring to re-
lieve you of any possible embarrassment,
herewith tender you my resigna-
ton of the Office of Commissioner of
the General Land Office and ask its early
acceptance, and in thus severing my connec-
tion with your administration / beg to as
sure you Of my earnest wish that the same
wisdom, firnness and integrity which has
thus far marked your administration may
continue TO enhance you in the estimation
of your countlymen."